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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479347">Holiday</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualreina/pseuds/bisexualreina'>bisexualreina</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The X files</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Emily Sim Lives, F/M, New Years Eve, domestic dana scully, maggie and dana scully, parent dana scully</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:00:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479347</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualreina/pseuds/bisexualreina</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>New Years Eve with Scully and Emily</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dana Scully &amp; Emily Sim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Holiday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Scully could feel the slight shake in Emily’s hand as they walked up the concrete steps to Maggie’s porch. She knew that her newly acquired daughter got nervous in new surroundings, which she had to remind herself was normal for a three year old who had undergone so many new life changes, but Scully knew that she’d eventually need some help, and that her mother was the only person she could trust at this point. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two hadn’t met, and despite many efforts to reach out, Maggie had always found herself busy whenever her daughter tried to set up a time for them to grab dinner, decorate the house, bake cookies, or watch movies. This time she had been firm, making up her mind that this was going to be the day that Margaret Scully met Emily.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had packed up her little girl, dressing her warmly in the puffy jacket that she had purchased for her, along with the red dress and black stockings to keep her warm as they prepared to ring in the New Year with her mother. With her toddler clinging to her hip, and a bunt cake in the other arm, Scully began her trek down to the car, preparing herself to make the almost forty minute drive to her mother’s.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She held her breath nervously as she waited for the buzzer to get her mother’s attention, the snow lightly falling around them, causing Emily to turn and face her mother with an outstretched arm, silently requesting to be lifted. Scully sighed and managed to get her up and into her arms with her only available one, feeling the little girl nervously bury her face into her neck. She cursed herself for not calling first, but she knew that her mother had no plans, since her father’s passing she noted the way Maggie preferred her own company, and at times the company of her church community, Bill, Tara and their newest bundle Christopher that she always looked on with pride, but her life of socializing was mostly done.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The door slowly dragged open and Maggie’s eyes widened at the sight of her petite daughter with a small girl perched on her hip bone, tiny hands slung around her neck, matching her feet that wrapped around her waist for security, her hand steadying her with a firm grip on her thigh. She swiftly ushered them inside and out of the cold, grabbing the bunt cake from Dana and helping her with her jacket.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She couldn’t help but marvel at her daughter, the way her health slowly inched it’s way back into her body, filling out her scarily thin figure, breathing rosy life back into her following her remission. However her chest tightened at the sight of the little girl that her daughter had told her so little about while on their visit to California.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Emily, it’s okay, remember, this is your Nana- my mommy.” Scully whispered into the young girl’s ear, crouching low to the ground to set her on her leg, softly rubbing some of the silky, blonde hair that had fallen out of the hairdo that Scully had done before they left. Emily stared up at the older woman suspiciously, not ready to move away from the comfort of her mother’s lap, her tiny hands clinging to the soft material of her warm blouse.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Maggie remained in her spot in the doorframe of the living room, nervously wringing her hands as her daughter softly whispered, finally convincing her off of her lap and onto her petite feet which were covered in black, shiny shoes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why don’t we say hi to Nana.” Scully suggested, allowing her daughter to grip her hand and toddle beside her as they approached her mother, Maggie’s eyes filled with conflicted tears as they stared down at the little girl who resembled both of her daughters so closely.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m Maggie.” She managed, the sound of her mother’s first name making Scully whip her head around in exasperation, a frown now pulling at her lips as she glared at her mother who simply reached down to squeeze the young girl’s hand, stopping her from stumbling over for a hug.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Scully’s chest tightened at the sight, anger flushing her cheeks as she noticed the visible distance that her mother put between herself and Emily, both physically and emotionally. She had seen Maggie as the warm and loving grandmother to Christopher, much to Bill’s hilarious frustration, she spoiled her nephew even if he was only a mere month old, refusing to share him, cuddling him close, even tickling the underside of his foot to get him to cry while in Dana’s arms to swoop in and take him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she was different with Emily, she seemed colder, less excited. Scully had explained what had happened, that Emily was indeed her biological child, her genes mixed and prodded in ways that her medically trained mind couldn’t even comprehend, however, slightly concerned that she needed to explain it this many times to her mother.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hadn’t yet told her about that fateful doctor’s appointment, when her period was late and she feared, yet slightly hoped that her sloppy night with Mulder had produced something precious, but what she got was far more painful, something that she had yet to share with anyone, especially Maggie. Her humiliation, her heartbreak, the feeling of her hopes being dissipated into nothing as the doctor explained that irregular periods were common for women recovering from aggressive cancers such as hers, but that she would never bear a child, her womb was empty, and it ached at the sounds of his words. She knew that these feelings were valid, but that she shouldn’t have felt that way, she was too young, her career was a rollercoaster, and she didn’t even have anyone to produce a child with, trying her hardest not to root her hopes and dreams onto her reproductive abilities, but she still found herself in a puddle of tears in the doctor’s office.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew that Maggie would be less than comforting, that she’d push her daughter to find another way, the way she always encouraged her to, versus the unconditional love she needed. When Emily came along her mother was less than enthused, confused as to why Dana had been so adamant on taking in the toddler, and why she had been so heartbroken when the social worker initially turned her down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now this little girl was standing in front of her and Dana’s glare on her was burning, but she couldn’t bring herself to do more, the room filling with discomfort. Scully could feel frustration rising in her chest as she pulled Emily into her arms once more, walking her around the sofa and plopping her down on the soft cushions, draping a blanket over her little legs.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you want to see the ball that is going to drop tonight?” Scully whispered, still lacing her voice with excitement for the little girl who nodded happily, already forgetting about the awkward encounter with her grandmother. Scully bit her lip and flipped the channels until it landed on the countdown coverage, pulling Emily’s stuffed koala bear out of the pocket of her sweater and placing it in her arms with a kiss on her head.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mama is going to help Nana with dinner, I’m going to be in the kitchen if you need me.” Scully smiled, watching her daughter brush her nose over the soft fur of her toy, sinking into the sofa tiredly as her eyes gazed at the twinkling lights and music.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With little effort Scully rose from her squatting position that didn’t seem to phase her anymore, wandering into the kitchen where her mother was silently stirring the pot full of sauce for the casserole, her lips pursed nervously.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maggie? You introduced yourself as Maggie?” Scully questioned, her voice laced with wavering anger as she watched her mother cook cautiously, setting the wooden spoon atop the countertop before taking a drawn out breath in order to look at her daughter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What did you expect me to say, Dana? You show up unannounced, with this little girl that I barely know, and you expect me to be Nana at the drop of a hat? That isn’t fair, Dana!” Maggie cried, trying her hardest to justify her reasonings for her coldness towards her only granddaughter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because it wasn’t unannounced, mom! I have called and called and you refused to see us. She is my <em>daughter</em>, mom. My child regardless of whether or not I gave birth to her. You instantly fell in love with Christopher the minute you saw him, and I expect you to do the same because in every way she is my child. Even <em>Charlie</em> reached out to me to let me know that he was genuinely happy for me and that he hoped to one day meet Emily!” Scully whispered forcefully under her breath, exasperated as to why Maggie struggled so deeply with this.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just don’t understand it, Dana! You have your whole life ahead of you, a handsome partner who pines for you and would go to the ends of the Earth for your happiness, why not wait to just have a child with him, after you’re married and secure?” Maggie begged, her words making Dana’s eyes water, realizing that her mother would only be on board with a traditional unit, a nuclear family similar to the one Bill and Tara proudly built, the one she knew she would never have.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Secretly she never knew if she wanted that. She knew she wanted a family, a rich love from the life that she built, but she never believed that it had to be the result of the union of matrimony, and now shifting her view away from a child she grew from her body. However, knowing her mother needed that to love her daughter, was enough to bring frustrated tears to her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t have children, mom. They made me barren and I will never be able to conceive a child. It is a painful thing that I was learning to live with, and then Emily came along, and I learned that she was mine and there was no way that I was walking away from her. I love her with my entire heart, and it hurts me that you don’t. She is mine regardless of the fact that her DNA is mine. She looks at me and I see Melissa, she hates peaches just like Charlie, and she loves the ocean like Ahab- like dad.” Scully cried, gripping the counter painfully as her mother stared blankly, all of the information hitting her as once, processing slowly as she stared at her daughter’s clearly hurt face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dana…you will find a way…” Maggie began, trying to comfort her daughter as she focused on that part of the conversation, only making Dana’s eyes well up with tears.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have found a way, mom. That is what I am trying to tell you. Emily is enough, I love her so much and I need my mother to be able to. I lost my sister, my brothers are far away, and dad is gone. She needs family outside of me, and you are all I have left.” Scully cried, her eyes now spilling with tears as her mother just stared blankly, the air tense around both women, the pot boiling over with the burnt contents, making the smoke alarm ring. Her expression said it all, she was hearing what Dana was saying but was refusing to listen, she was old fashioned, and this just wasn’t how things were done.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sound of little feet clacking into the kitchen caused Scully to silence, tears running down Emily’s face as she nervously searched for her mother to protect her from the sound, clinging to her black pants. The feeling of tiny hands shook the young mother out of her trance, briskly wiping her tears from her cheeks before reaching down for her daughter who eagerly climbed onto her shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around her neck.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s okay baby, it’s just the smoke alarm.” Scully whispered, feeling her anger and frustrations dissipate at the feeling of her little body clinging to her for protection, for warmth. She could feel Maggie’s stare soften at the sight, but she didn’t seem to care anymore, her mother was being difficult and she didn’t have time for bickering.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why don’t we go get your things, Nana can’t have us over for dinner tonight.” Scully whispered noticing how her daughter had eased as the sound shut off with the clearing smoke. Her mother frowned at how the night had gone, but Scully was unfazed by her disappointment, she had her first New Years Eve with her daughter, and she wasn’t going to ruin it more than she already had.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dana quietly walked back with Emily in tow and set the little one down on the floor before motioning for her to help tidy up her area, which to her luck was just a few tousled pillows and an unfolded blanket.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dana, please.” Maggie tried to reason, but her daughter had made up her mind, these discussions were futile and she’d have to think of something else when it came to child care, because this conversation had put a bad taste in her mouth in regards to her mother. Scully just bit her lip and began to gather their coats, double checking that her beloved koala was secured in her pocket before bundling Emily up in her jacket. Normally she loved the feeling of Emily toddling at her side, the padding of her jacket bouncing her off of her leg as they walked hand in hand, but this time Scully felt the need to scoop her into both arms, feeling the little girl hug her arms as best as possible around her shoulders.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Say goodbye to Nana.” Scully whispered tightly, fighting off tears as she pulled the door open to the wintery powder outside, sucking in a deep breath of relief that Mulder had reminded her to put the chains on her tires.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bye Nana.” Emily chirped, her cheek still pressed against Scully’s shoulder, the hood nearly covering her entire face, her big blue eyes the only thing visible to her so-called grandmother.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Goodbye, Emily.” Maggie managed, her sorrow over the whole situation setting in as she watched her only daughter trudge through the snow with her toddler safely in her embrace, protecting her from the cold precipitation, unable to offer much else.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two Scully women were buckled safely in the car as Dana drove silently down the road, the music playing softly, catching Emily’s ear as she softly hummed along, causing the woman’s heart to thaw at the sound. It was dark out and she knew that it would be a long night of driving for the both of them, causing her to exhale at the realization that it was just the two of them, and she could do as she pleased with her child.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you hungry, baby?” Scully questioned, the little girl eagerly nodding, allowing Scully to conjure up a mental <em>fuck it</em> to everyone, and turned into the diner that she regularly visited while spending her college breaks home with Missy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was warm and inviting from the outside, and Scully promptly put the car in park, sloshing through the white powder to pull her toddler out and once more into her arms, the snow now the height of her petite frame. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The bell chimed and she swiftly dusted the cold off of the both of them, setting Emily onto her own two feet before motioning towards the waitress that they’d need a booster seat and some menus. They were swiftly seated and the smell of pancakes nearly had Scully on her knees, strict diets, chemotherapy treatments, nausea, and time away had prevented her from indulging in the meal, and it only felt fitting that she share her first time back with the most important person in her life.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swiftly ordered and blew on the hot chocolate that she had gotten for the little girl, a treat that she normally wouldn’t allow during any other meal, but this was a holiday and she deserved it. Emily colored quietly with a content grin on her face, scribbling and smiling at the same time as the images of dancing pancakes were given vibrant red hair to match the both of them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The waitress promptly returned with their food and Scully wasted no time cutting up the kids’ sized pancakes, offering over the plastic fork for her daughter to begin, scarfing her own down in an almost primal fashion.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They sat in a comfortable silence, filled with momentary sounds of Emily humming to herself, whatever song she seemed to enjoy, her koala perched beside her in the booth. Scully couldn’t help but smile in complete gratitude, watching the little girl who had suffered so much simply enjoy her pancakes, her equally warm grin in response nearly causing tears.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you like your pancakes?” She asked softly, the little girl nodding happily as she covered herself in the sticky syrup, but Scully didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you mama.” She chirped as she finished up, just the sound of her voice causing Scully’s heart to warm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course, baby.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">…</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As she had suspected the traffic had been bad, checkpoints, snowstorms, and eager families trying to get to where they needed to be on the holiday. They had reached the apartment with just twenty minutes to spare, ten of which consisted of Scully hiking up the stairs with her sleeping three year old in her arms, huffing tiredly as she reached the door.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They had finally settled on the sofa, Emily now changed into pajamas, Scully allowing her to try and stay awake for the big sparkly “wand”, as Emily put it, to drop and ring in the new year.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To her surprise Emily was wide awake, counting down eagerly from ten, relieved that it was the highest number that she knew to count from, bouncing with excitement as the ball slowly descended, making Emily squeal with delight.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Three! Two! One! Happy New Year Emily!” Scully exclaimed, scooping her surprisingly coherent daughter from the sofa and into a warm embrace, the both of them snuggling warmly into a New Years hug, her tiny hands gripping her mother’s cheeks in order to reach up and place a kiss on her chin, making Scully giggle.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you my little pancake.” Scully smiled, she had tried so hard, to make solid traditions with her family, to build something that refused to take foundation, but she realized that this was enough, she had said it herself, that Emily was all she needed. Pancakes and kisses while excitement filled the apartment.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She prayed that this would last, that her same love for her mother would stick even as she grew into a teenager uninterested with the quiet nights in, she hoped that this one would stick. But for now she’d relish in it, for their first holiday together, it wasn’t half bad. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I love you mama."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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